Foreign firms eye Indian lesbian, gay travel pie

New Delhi: With India becoming a favoured destination among gay travellers, many international gay travel agencies are keen to open shop in India to cater to this niche travel segment.

"There is a lot of interest by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) travel agencies and related services to start operations in India, as the country has such a rich culture and history," product manager (south Asia and Pacific region) for ITB Berlin, one of the world's leading travel trade shows, Rika Jean-Francois, told IANS.

Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Park City, Utah

Park City, Utah: Park City ski resort in Utah is the access spot for some of America's best skiing with three major ski resorts all alongside each other - Deer Valley, Park City and The Canyons.

The mountain town of Park City, just a 45 minute drive from the Salt Lake City airport, has ample hotels and lodges, family-friendly skiing and snowboarding and a variety of restaurants, bars and shops.

AI opts for single code for better travel comfort

New Delhi: Passengers on the Air India network will no longer have to travel on separate tickets for domestic and international flights, following the successful trials of the new single ticket reservation system, popularly understood as a single code service – the AI code.

The shift would hasten Air India’s entry into Star Alliance, the world’s largest integrated air transport network. “This would ensure a number of additional facilities which would make the passengers’ journey enjoyable and hassle-free,” said Mr Arvind Jadhav, Chairman & Managing Director, while indicating that the single code, AI, would be formally launched sometime around mid-February.

Coming next: Carry-along basestation for travelers

Helsinki: A technology startup backed by Google unveiled on Wednesday the world's first personal base station for international travelers, enabling them to cut roaming fees and make mobile calls like in a home country.

Ubiquisys said the timing of devices reaching consumers depended on telecoms operators and it was in talks with several operators.

Floating walkway to open up London's hidden past

London: A mile-long floating walkway on London's River Thames is being planned in the heart of the capital, allowing views of the city's hidden alleys, wharves and landmarks dating back to medieval times.

'Rubbish hotel' booked up for Spain tourism fair

Madrid: Celebrating a tourism fair staged this week to promote Spain's biggest industry is a new hotel in central Madrid whose maker freely admits is rubbish.

German sculptor HA Shult used 12 tonnes of recycled junk to build the hotel in central Madrid's Callao Square and draw attention to the amount of flotsam spoiling Europe's beaches.

Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Riyadh

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh is a growing city of over four million, combining the flair of a financial centre with a traditional desert lifestyle as it is home to one of the biggest Arab camel markets.

The desert city is a showcase of the kingdom's struggle to balance modernisation while preserving its conservative Muslim traditions. Many elegant shopping malls and restaurants have sprung up but cinemas, bars and even water pipes are banned - and don't even think about getting an alcoholic drink in Riyadh.

Travel Picks: Top 10 ski destinations

London: For travelers who embrace the snow with sheer dedication, winter is a time to take advantage of all the fresh powder on the ski slopes. Travel website Cheapflights.com (wwww.cheapflights.com) offers powder hounds its choices for the top 10 ski destinations. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. Park City, Utah

Tamil Nadu is No.1 destination for foreigners

New Delhi: India has emerged as a popular destination for high-spending foreign tourists as the industry experienced a strong period of growth over the past four years, according to government data.

Tamil Nadu has attracted the largest number of overseas visitors with 1753103 foreigners having visited the southern state in 2007, 2029410 in 2008 and 2369050 in 2009, according to official Ministry of Tourism data.

Tips for travel in the snowing Himachal hills

Shimla If you are keen for some adventure in the hills of Himachal Pradesh in the winter snow, here are a few tips:

1.Make sure your trip is planned well in advance. Check on general road conditions and confirm whether the high mountain passes are open.